Spider Veins And Your Health
Spider veins don’t cause any health risk on their own in most cases, even if they are left untreated. However, the development of spider veins may signal the presence of other problems that do pose a risk to your health. For example, if you have spider veins, you may be more likely to get varicose veins. Varicose veins can sometimes ulcerate, leading to infections and other issues. Spider veins are also more common among people who have other health conditions, such as obesity.
In addition, if you have spider veins along with other conditions, you may be more likely to develop specific vein-related complications. For example, if you have diabetes and abnormal veins, you may be at a higher risk of deep vein thrombosis, which is the development of blood clots. These clots usually appear in the legs and can be life-threatening without the right treatment.
New Statin Guidelines Are More Likely To Treat These People Before Their Heart Attacks
- Date:
- Allina Health
- Summary:
- Researchers wanted to find out if new statin guidelines were affecting the number of heart attacks. What they found was promising, but revealed a basic flaw in preventive care.
For decades, national guidelines on which Americans should take cholesterol-lowering medications relied heavily on an individual’s level of bad cholesterol . In 2013, new guidelines moved to treatment based on a person’s overall heart attack risk.
“The data on statins clearly shows that individuals with normal cholesterol levels can also reduce their risk of heart attacks,” said Michael Miedema, MD, MPH, cardiologist with Minneapolis Heart Institute® and principal investigator for a Minneapolis Heart Institute Foundation® study of the new guidelines.
However, the study found that more than half of the patients had not seen a physician in the two years prior to their heart attacks.
“The more recent cholesterol guidelines are clearly a big step in the right direction, but we need to have better systems and incentives in place to get patients the assessment and treatments that could potentially be life-saving,” Miedema said.
When the more recent cholesterol guidelines were applied, the patients were twice as likely to be eligible for a statin prior to their heart attacks compared to the older guidelines that relied on cholesterol levels. Seventy-nine percent were statin eligible according to the newer guidelines, compared to 39 percent that qualified by the older guidelines.
What Is A Heart Attack
A heart attack occurs when a blood vessel distributing oxygenated blood to the heart gets blocked and a piece of heart tissue dies from oxygen deprivation, according to Flavio Fenton, a professor of physics at the Georgia Institute of Technology who studies the electrical aspects of both human and other animal species’ hearts. When a piece of the heart dies, it can’t contract and also fails to propagate the electrical wave that moves through the rest of the heart telling it to contract. That can cause the heart to stop, leading to death unless an intervention, such as CPR, is performed.
“All mammalian hearts are very similar,” Fenton said. “So, most mammalian hearts, in principle, could have heart attacks.”
Rather than asking why other animals don’t get heart attacks, it might make more sense to ask why humans do. You might think it has to do with our sedentary behavior and poor diet, and those factors certainly do play roles. Atherosclerosis is a leading cause of heart disease, and an unhealthy diet high in red meat and full-fat dairy products and a lack of exercise are risk factors for atherosclerosis, according to the Mayo Clinic.
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This Potential Treatment Could Be Life
According to the experts, there are no medications in clinical trials that can prevent the harm caused by heart attacks and this could be a life-changing discovery. According to a study published in the journal Circulation, the protein, known as Hi1a, was discovered in the venom of the Fraser Island funnel-web spider and could one day be used to treat donor hearts, allowing them to travel further distances and increasing the chances of a successful transplant, according to the researchers.
Researchers believe that this could also increase the number and quality of donor’s hearts, giving hope to those on the transplant waiting list. However, Australian heart research is still in its early phases. For the study, the researchers tested the drug candidate on beating human heart cells subjected to heart attack stress to see if it increased their survival, and they hope to start human clinical trials in the next two or three years.
How Ekg/ecg/electrocardiogram Testing Helps In Regards To Heart Attacks
While EKG testing can be used to diagnosis a number of heart problems, it is most commonly used when there is a suspected heart attack. This testing can provide the information your cardiologist needs to determine whether you had a heart attack in the past or if you are currently experiencing one.
Even though this testing is valuable in detecting previous or current heart attacks, it does have one limitation predicting the future. These tests cannot predict how likely you will be to experience any future heart attacks.
Just because the test cannot predict future heart attacks, it doesnt mean there is no way to predict if one will happen. Cardiologists can use a number of things, such as blood pressure, cholesterol levels, and other information obtained from electrocardiography testing, to determine your risk level. If you are at a high risk for experiencing future heart attacks, your cardiologist can provide treatment recommendations and lifestyle changes that may help lower your risk.
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Can An Electrocardiogram Detect A Heart Attack
If it is believed you had a heart attack, your cardiologist may wish to have you undergo electrocardiography testing. This diagnostic testing, which involves running a test known as an electrocardiogram or EKG/ECG as it is sometimes called, can help provide your cardiologist with valuable information that shows the overall health of your heart.
Stopping The Heart Attack ‘death Signal’
Dr Palpant said the drug candidate worked by stopping a death signal sent from the heart in the wake of an attack.
After a heart attack, blood flow to the heart is reduced, resulting in a lack of oxygen to heart muscle, Dr Palpant said.
The lack of oxygen causes the cell environment to become acidic, which combine to send a message for heart cells to die.
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Apex Legends: What Are Loot Bin Spiders And Zombies Scary Af
The Apex Legends Fight or Fright loot bin spiders and zombies are causing gamers to have heart attacks.
EA and Respawn Entertainments Apex Legends Fight or Fright festivity is under way, and the occasion has introduced a limited-time mode named Shadowfall as well as terrifying loot bin spiders and zombies.
In addition to Shadowfall and creepy crawlies, EAs celebration of all things spooky for Halloween has also brought about a bunch of new skins such as Crypto as an emo vampire and Caustic as a Joker meets Pennywise hybrid clown.
The event hasnt been entirely well received thanks to its Fight or Fright pack prices, but one aspect fans unanimously seem to hate is the loot bin spiders and zombies.
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PRICES ARE DISGRACEFUL: How to get Fight or Fright packs in Apex Legends
Stopping ‘death Signal’: Scientists Look To Repair Hearts Using Deadly Spider Venom
- The University of Queensland stated that the research team was aiming for human clinical trials for both stroke and heart disease within two to three years.
A group of Australian scientists are looking to halt the harmful effects of heart attack by using the venom of one of the worlds deadliest spiders. The researchers have developed a drug candidate from a molecule found in the venom of the Fraser Island funnel-web spider to stop the death signal sent by the heart that leads to cardiac arrest.
The development of experimental medicine, which has only been tested in the lab so far, has been led by Dr Nathan Palpant and Professor Glenn King from The University of Queensland and Professor Peter Macdonald from the Victor Chang Cardiac Research Institute. Explaining the death signal, Dr Palpant said that the heart attack causes a reduction in blood flow to the heart which subsequently results in a lack of oxygen to the heart muscle.
The lack of oxygen causes the cell environment to become acidic, which combine to send a message for heart cells to die, Dr Palpant said in a statement published by the University of Queensland, adding that the scientists have not been able to develop a drug that stops the death signal despite decades of research.
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The research paper has been published in the latest edition of the journal Circulation.
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What Can A Cardiologist Learn From An Ekg
Cardiologists can learn a lot from running a single EKG test. Everything from the size of the heart and where it may be damaged to heart rhythm problems can be discovered with the results provided by this test.
Some of the things that can be discovered from the test results of an EKG include:
- Heart rhythm abnormalities
- Electrolyte imbalances throughout the body that cause sudden or severe changes in the hearts activity
- Insufficient blood flow leading to and away from the heart
- Inflammation in the sac that surrounds the heart
- Enlargement of the heart
- Evidence of injury or damage to the heart
How Does Heart Disease Affect The Legs And Feet
Many people with PAD are unaware of their condition because they dont exhibit symptoms. However, PAD can contribute to the following disorders:
Intermittent Claudication. If you experience painful cramps when you walk or exercise, feel a tight, aching, or squeezing pain in the calf, thigh, or buttock, or experience numbness in the lower limbs it could be attributed to your leg muscles not getting enough blood. This pain is called intermittent claudication, and usually happens after you walking or exercising. The pain tends to dissipate when you stop walking, although as PAD becomes more severe, even when you arent walking pain in your toe or foot may exist. When it occurs as a person is sleeping, its called rest pain.
Venous Disease. Another possible condition is venous disease, especially if you have a history of spider or varicose veins. Unexplained pain, heaviness, or swelling in a leg, or visible see purple, twisted veins in your legs that are raised above the skin, may be an indication of venous disease. Varicose veins develop when valves in the veins that carry blood up toward your heart stop working properly. As a result, blood collects in the veins. The pressure of this pooled blood can push the veins above the surface of your skin.
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Most Read In Im A Celebrity
Doctors said the CPR kept oxygen pumping to his head so he did not suffer brain damage.
David discovered he had a heart condition passed on by his mother Mireille, who died from a heart attack aged 74 in 2005.
He has gone on to campaign for CPR to be taught at schools.
He watched in horror as Denmark ace Christian Eriksen, 29, had a cardiac arrest at the Euros last summer. A Newcastle fan also collapsed at St James Park last month while David was in the commentary box.
In her first interview, mum-of-two Maëva reveals they were introduced hours before Davids collapse. She said: We met on the day he died.
A mutual friend introduced us at a restaurant in Cannes. It was just after midnight and we talked and had one kiss and then he went to the charity event.
I was back in Marseille when my friend called and said, Have you heard what happened to David? What did you do with him? I said, We just talked and we had one kiss and then we left that was it. I was so worried about him and because I didnt know his close friends it was hard to check on how he was doing. I prayed for him and kept asking, Why has this happened? I sent him a message saying, How are you? Im very worried. He said, Im coming back from a world I didnt know.
In the early stages of their courtship, he suffered from depression sparked by his collapse and the stress of his ongoing divorce from his ex-wife. Maëva said: David took me for dinner in Marseilles a few months after he left hospital.
Avoid Anything Too Scary
If you have heart conditions like SVT or atrial fibrillation, which result in abnormal or rapid heart rhythms, its a good idea to avoid extreme frights and scares. Things like walk-through haunted houses or certain horror movies can cause your heart rate to increase rapidly and uncontrollably, which may trigger complications.
To steer clear of issues, stick to more tame Halloween activities that wont cause your heart rate to increase. All great choices are things like carving jack-o-lanterns, passing out treats, slow trick-or-treating, and watching a fun Halloween special!
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Percent Of Heart Attacks Injuries After Surgery Go Undetected Due To Lack Of Symptoms
- Date:
- American Society of Anesthesiologists
- Summary:
- Without administering a simple blood test in the first few days after surgery, 85 percent of the heart attacks or injuries patients suffer could be missed, according to a new study. Globally, more than 8 million adults have heart attacks or injuries after surgery every year, and 10 percent of those patients die within 30 days.
Without administering a simple blood test in the first few days after surgery, 85 percent of the heart attacks or injuries patients suffer could be missed, according to a study in the March issue of Anesthesiology. Globally, more than 8 million adults have heart attacks or injuries after surgery every year, and 10 percent of those patients die within 30 days.
The study suggests a new diagnosis, Myocardial Injury after Noncardiac Surgery , would be useful to physicians because of its broader definition from what is traditionally used to diagnose heart attacks now. The study authors note that by using the traditional definition of heart attack, more than 50 percent of the serious heart attacks or injuries that happen after surgery will go undetected, seriously affecting a patient’s chances of surviving 30 days past surgery.
The study found that only 15 percent of patients who have heart attacks after surgery experience traditional symptoms such as chest pain and pressure, shortness of breath or pain in the neck, jaw or arm.
Story Source:
Deadly Spider Venom Found To Help Treat Heart Attacks
The Fraser Island funnel-web spider is considered by some to be the most dangerous spider in the world. A protein in its venom could save lives.
Story at a glance
- A protein identified in the venom of the Fraser Island funnel-web spider called Hi1a could block so-called death signals sent to cells after a cardiac arrest.
- The Hi1a protein from spider venom blocks acid-sensing ion channels in the heart, so the death message is blocked, cell death is reduced, and we see improved heart cell survival, researchers said.
- Hi1a could eventually be used by first responders to treat heart attack victims and could also be used to improve the likelihood of successful heart transplants and increase how far donor hearts can be transported.
Venom from one of the worlds deadliest spiders could lead to a potentially-life saving treatment for victims of heart attacks.
Researchers from the University of Queensland in Australia and Sydneys Victor Chang Cardiac Research Institute are developing a drug candidate derived from a molecule found in the venom of the Fraser Island funnel-web spider.
A protein, Hi1a, could block so-called death signals sent to cells after a cardiac arrest that causes heart cells to die, according to a study published recently in the journal Circulation. Currently, there are no drugs in clinical use that stop the damage caused by heart attacks.
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Heart Attacks In Vertebrates
Despite reports that other animals mostly don’t have heart attacks, the truth is that there haven’t been a lot of experiments investigating this question.
“There’s very little about heart attacks in anything that’s not mammalian,” Tomasz Owerkowicz, a comparative vertebrate physiologist at California State University, San Bernardino, told Live Science. “You can observe an animal has suddenly died. But very rarely would you actually perform the autopsy and look for blockages in the coronary arteries. We just don’t know whether other animals suffer heart attacks.”
But based on heart structure, researchers can make predictions about which vertebrates are most likely to have heart attacks. Mammalian and bird hearts have just one source of oxygen, the coronary arteries, according to Owerkowicz. These branch into smaller arterioles and capillaries, where heart muscle cells pick up oxygen and discard carbon dioxide. In the mammalian heart, “the only way you can get the blood and the oxygen everywhere inside the heart is through the vessels,” Fenton said. This is also thought to be true for birds, Owerkowicz noted. For that reason, if a coronary artery is blocked in a bird or mammal, the heart loses its oxygen supply and the creature is likely to have a heart attack, Owerkowicz said.
What’s the difference between alligators and crocodiles?
Owerkowicz and Fenton are collaborating on experiments on heart attacks on one such spongy-hearted critter, the alligator.